Sunday, 4 December 2016

Between December 14th and 23rd, Terreiro do Paço hosts, once again, another free video mapping show entitled “Nicolau's New Palace"

This is a show that aims to spread the magic of Christmas through the city. The theme, "Nicolau's New Palace”, addresses the concern for the environment, seeking to raise public awareness of the effects of climate change on the world and how it affect us.

The show tells the story that Christmas may be in danger, because of Nicolau's Palace, in the North Pole, situated on a slope near a snow mountain, which was completely destroyed by an avalanche.
With his palace and work shop destroyed, Nicolau has to find help as soon as possible. To do so, he'll have to start on a long journey through the various parts of the planet on his innovative sleigh - an iron machine with sculpted reindeer - at great speed.

During the trip, Nicolau notes the first effects of global warming. Waterfalls have become sand cascades and where there were fertile fields, there’s now great dryness and desertification. The planet is not the same as before and the black mantle is everywhere.

Arriving at the South Pole, when finding the Ice Queen, Nicolaus realizes that avalanches will increase and be more frequent due to the temperature rise and if Man does not change his attitude the planet will suffer, even more, jeopardizing Christmas.

Projected on the facade of the Arch of Augusta Street, the video will also feature a number of mythical animals such as the flying whale, fluorescent anemones, and environments ranging from maritime to starry skies, forests with giant sequoias, lava volcanoes or reefs. In all these scenarios, Nicolaus' journey experiences what is happening to the planet, from the plastic island to the oil monster, to deforestation. Also, present in all these scenarios and to witness what is happening to the planet, there are a boy and a whale that will soften the effects and make the planet reborn from its "disease".

Finally, after having toured the world, the action returns to the North Pole, where Nicolau's Palace begins to be rebuilt with the help of the Ice Queen and her helpers - various animals, men, and believers. In the end, there is a great Winter Solstice party where Nicolaus invites animals and humans to his new Palace for a great celebration.

Designed for all types of audiences and aimed at all age groups, the free-entry show "Nicolau's New Palace" delivers a message about how a man reacts and treats the world where he lives, risking something as special as the celebration of this holiday season. It will also have a voice over narration, allowing the younger audience to follow the show closely, as small excerpts will be read in Portuguese.

The show is free and it will take place every day from December 14th to 23rd at 7:00 p.m., 7:45 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Last week the Michelin Guide for Lisbon and Spain honored 2 additional Lisbon restaurants with its famous stars so, let’s learn more about them.

Created by André, the Michelin Guide had its first edition in 1900, with the goal of promoting

mobility to vehicles and bicycles, for whom Michelin manufactured tires. The guide provided suggestions of routes and quality places where drivers could eat and sleep during their trip, but the ultimate objective was to encourage them to use their tires. Garage locations that allowed drivers to stock themselves with alcohol or to fix a flat tire, was another of the information presented in the guide.

The classic selection of one to three stars only started in 1929 and it was in the 30’s that the visits from the anonymous inspectors begun. They travelled in search of five specific criteria: quality of the products, the mastery in cocking, the domain of the technics, the balance of flavors, creativity of the chef, relation price/quality and regularity.

Lisbon had already three restaurants on the Michelin Guide, the Belcanto with 2 stars, and the Eleven and Feitoria with 1, on November 23rd two others joined the list, let’s get to know them.

AlmaWhen Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa reopened Alma, this time at Chiado, he was clearly in the star league. It was noticeable by the care of with which the space was recovered and worked up to the smallest detail (from menu paper to the china). Sá Pessoa’s sophisticated cuisine presents a great focus on working with fish and seafood, the Asian influence and its own cuisine style.Loco
Alexandre Silva risked on a personal project, an investment made by him and by his wife Sara, who is also his partner and he won. It was not clear that the Michelin Guide was to distinguish a much more daring and irreverent restaurant than those who are usually starry. The meal structure at Loco is different (fast pace in the initial snacks, pause for bread and butter, and then the main courses, some of which presented with a tableside show service). The show and the surprises are, in fact, part of the project of a meal that is intended to be fun and relaxed.

Monday, 28 November 2016

This weekend the Centro Cultural de Belém, in collaboration with Companhia Maior, presents Shakespeare’s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

A Midsummer Night's Dream was written between 1594 and 1596, and it is where Shakespeare, inspired on classical mythology, crosses several stories, introduces characters in conflict and installs confusion, in a successive game of loving encounters and miss encounters.

This comedy oscillates between reality and fantasy; between the political and social power with its order and a chaotic world represented by the forest where fairies and elves live.

Before the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta, a couple in loved and eager to escape the laws of the city, go to the forest and after a while two others follow them to a place where there is already a troupe of amateur actors rehearsing a play to be presented on the day of the wedding. In the forest are also Oberon and Titania who have become estranged from one another. That's when Puck appears and the chaos of love is released ... and everything becomes a huge dream.

Sunday, 20 November 2016

This week we leave the traditional sightseeing scenarios and dive into 5 different experiences that will help you to know Lisbon from a different perspective.

There are many ways to discover Lisbon and its history and this week we’ll present you a scary way, a detective way, a knowledgeable way, a wet way and an amphibian way, stay tuned.

1 – Labirinto Lisboa
Labirinto Lisboa offers you a ride back in time to witness, first hand, Portugal’s darkest historical characters and legends come to life.
Labirinto Lisboa is the first Portuguese horror house, in the heart of historic Lisbon, near Cais do Sodré and Mercado da Ribeira. It is a permanent haunted attraction, with an immersive entertainment experience that combines live scare actors with special effects, across different environments, where guests explore a winding labyrinth of dark passageways and surprising chambers.
They're dying to meet you!

2 – Lisbon Escape Hunt
Known as the “most innovative team building experience in Lisbon”, Lisbon Escape Hunt offers a
state of the art gameplay.
Imagine an activity where you can combine teamwork, communication, mystery, concentration and a great deal of laughter, whilst everyone is having fun. Well, that is exactly what turns Lisbon Escape Hunt into a unique and creative activity.
If you have a group larger than 20 people, they can also come up with a joint team event, specifically tailored to your needs.
Boost Tourism created something unique using the latest gadgets available in Live Escape Games worldwide.

3 – Pavilion of KnowledgeThis is the largest interactive science center in Lisbon, originally built as part of the 1998 Lisbon World Fair as one of its most iconic pavilions - the Pavilion of the Knowledge of the Seas. During the event, visitors from all over the world were invited on a journey across the seas from a historical,
technical and human perspective.
The main exhibition hall was designed to accommodate a ship from São Jacinto Shipyards. With an architectural project from the atelier J.L. Carrilho da Graça and an exhibition design produced by the atelier ARX Portugal, this was one of the most visited pavilions of the EXPO´98, with 2,543,914 visitors.
In 1999, the venue opened again as a science center: the Pavilion of Knowledge – Ciência Viva. Since then it has been receiving hundreds of visitors each day and became an institution of reference for the promotion of scientific and technological culture in the Portuguese society.

4 – Oceanário
Another “son” of EXPO´98, the Oceanário de Lisboa is a large public aquarium whose prestige is widely recognized, not only in Lisbon and Portugal but also across the world and has etherealized the centuries-old bond between Lisbon and the ocean.
Its exceptional exhibitions and the architectural features of its buildings, full of symbolism, allows a unique, unforgettable experience. The Oceanário consists of two buildings connected by a large forecourt: the original Oceans Building and the new Sea Building. The forecourt, from which the exhibitions and the educational area can be accessed, boasts a magnificent panel featuring 55 thousand tiles.
Visited by about 1 million people every year, the Oceanário is the most popular cultural attraction in Portugal.

5 - Hippotrip
Prepare yourself for 90 minutes of fun, laughter, and adventure, all wrapped up in the most unusual
sightseeing experience of Lisbon!
Aboard an amphibious vehicle, one can explore the heart of Portugal’s capital, by land and river, without leaving the comfort of your own seat. Is it a bus? Is it a boat? Well, it’s both…. so get ready to plunge into the Tagus River with a big smile on your face!
Prepare to be entertained by lively animators, who will share myths, legends and curiosities. Don’t expect a "traditional” sightseeing tour with a "traditional” guide, but rather a memorable experience that will leave you shouting out loud… Hippo, Hippo, Hooray!!!!!!

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Mexefest returns to Lisbon’s city center, turning the Avenida da Liberdade into the capital of music on November 25th and 26th.

This riotous showcase of music and its lovers will occupy the entire length of the Avenue, filling many of its spaces with some of the best artists of all types of alternative music.

Discovering new music, the city and its most charismatic spaces, and movement, a lot of movement, are some of the features that make Vodafone Mexefest an absolutely unique musical experience.

As mentioned, showing Lisbon’s most charming venues is one of Mexefest most exciting characteristics and this year the festival will present two new places, the Cine-Teatro Capitólio in Parque Mayer and the Sotão of the Teatro Tivoli BBVA.

Opened in 1931, the Cine-Teatro Capitólio is one of Lisbon’s historic showrooms, it was restored and reopened for Vodafone Mexefest to host some of the concerts of this year's edition in three venues - Cine-Teatro, Bastidores and the Terraço.

The Sotão of the Teatro Tivoli BBVA was also recently restored, it is located behind the projection area, keeping for this reason the original equipment, functioning as a museum area. It is an ample and versatile space, with natural light, prepared to serve as stage for memorable performances.

And because unusual moments are also part of the Vodafone Mexefest’s DNA, this year there will be Surprise Concerts, reading sessions with Vodafone Voices of Writing and Vodafone Cuckoo to make the experience even more amazing and unforgettable.

Friday, 4 November 2016

Built in
1781 the Palácio do Chiado, former Palácio Quintela hosts a new gastronomic
concept returning to its former glory.

Lisbon is
full of new gastronomic spaces but not one compares to this in terms of
innovation and grandeur. Built by order of Luis Rebelo Quintela over the houses
that belong to the Earl of Vimioso and the Marquis of Valença and were
destroyed by the earthquake of 1755, the Palácio Quintela stood until the
present day at Rua do Alecrim in the center of Chiado.

Foto dinheiro vivo

With an
amazing history that included the housing of a French General during the first
French invasions, the Palace was the house of some of Portugal’s most important
personalities from which we highlight Joaquim Pedro Quintela, 2nd Baron
of Quintela and 1st Earl of Forrobo, although later in his life he
became an important figure of Portuguese political, social and culture life, he
will always be remember for his taste for partying and for associating to a
famous Portuguese expression “farrobodó”.

In 2014,
the Palácio Quintela reborn by the hand of 3 partners that visualized this
unique business opportunity and embraced this original and challenging project
that required several partnerships to allow the restauration of the paintings
and stained glass as close as possible to the original.

The Palácio
Quintela or Chiado offers an escape to the daily routine, and it’s already a
landmark in Lisbon’s restaurant scene combining in one single place a wide
range of gastronomic alternatives, attracting a diverse and multitasking
audience.

Monday, 31 October 2016

If you visit Lisbon during the next month you can easily find the smoke from the roasted chestnut vendors and we’ll tell you why.

São Martinho or Martinho de Tours, was born in about 316 in the old city of Savaria in Pannonia, an ancient province in the Roman Empire border, currently Hungary. Martinho was the son of a Roman commander and was raised in a pagan family and educated to follow a military career.

Despite receiving a pagan education Martinho found Christianity and was baptized in 356 after leaving the army, becoming a disciple of Saint Hilário, Bishop of Poitiers, who ordained him deacon and priest after which he returned to Pannonia, where he converted his mother.

Known for his miracles, the saint attracted crowds and was ordained bishop of Tours in 371 and founded the monastery of Marmoutier, where he lived in seclusion. He deceased on November 8th of 397 in Candes and was buried on November 11th, in Tours, a place of intense pilgrimage from century V.

The legend following São Martinho states that on a cold and rainy winter day, Martinho was travelling on horseback when he met a beggar. Seeing the beggar shivering and with nothing to offer him, he took the sword and cut his cape in half, covering him with one of the parts. Later, he found another beggar, with whom he shared the other half of the cape. With nothing to protect him from the cold, Martinho continued his journey. Legend has it that at that moment the dark clouds disappeared and the sun came up. The good weather lasted for three days and this is what we call “The Summer of São Martinho”.

The day of São Martinho is celebrated on November 11th, on the day of his funeral, three days after he died, almost everywhere across Europe, but the celebrations vary from country to country. In Portugal it is tradition to have a big “magusto” with roasted chestnuts and to drink “água-pé and “jeropiga”.